New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Delhi High Court's contempt proceedings against the Environment Ministry for not publishing the draft EIA notification in multiple regional languages.
However, the apex court bench led by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde observed that the spirit in which the High Court passed the order was correct.
The Centre informed the court that as per the official languages rules, publishing has to be done only in Hindi and English.
CJI Bobde observed that as far as the law is concerned, the Centre was right but it should consider amending the Official languages Act as there are people in regions like Karnataka, rural Maharashtra, Nagaland, etc. who neither know Hindi nor English.
CJI Bobde also said that translation is the easiest thing to do - Parliament has instant translation software, Courts translate judgments, and it was now time for the government to update the Act.
Earlier on August 2011, the Delhi High Court asked the Centre to reply to a plea seeking contempt action against it for alleged "willful disobedience" of a judicial order to ensure the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification of 2020 is published in all the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution within 10 days from June 30.
Read:INTERVIEW: 'EIA 2020 attempts to weaken regulation, silence the affected'
Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva issued notice to the Environment Ministry, which was directed by the high court on June 30 to ensure the draft EIA 2020 is published in all 22 Indian languages within 10 days and sought its response to the contempt plea by August 17.
A division bench of the high court said in the June 30 order that looking at the far-reaching consequences of the public consultation process for which the draft notification has been published, "we are of the view that it would be in aid of effective dissemination of the proposed notification if arrangements are made for its translation into other languages as well, at least those mentioned in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution".
The translation may be undertaken by the Centre itself or with the assistance of the state governments, where applicable, it said.
